Bitter Sweets
by The Cook's Girl
Summary: ZoSan AU-fic! Zoro follows Sanji when he skips class and finds him... at a bakery? SHOUNEN-AI/YAOI WARNING! Rating may change, and T for language.
1. The Prince is a Baker!

Zoro couldn't help but stare at the shocked blonde boy in front of him. There was no way... no way that someone like Sanji... a skirt-chasing, delinquent, cocky bastard who thought he was above everyone else... was working in a place like that. Yet, the evidence was clear. There were the patches of icing and cake batter littering his face, there was the white baker's uniform, and the light pink apron to top it off.

Another minute passed as the teens stared, each one daring the other to look away. It was that moment that it finally clicked in Zoro's mind. It started as a soft chuckle, and it grew and grew until his sides were splitting from laughing so hard. Sanji's furious and embarrassed scarlet face was priceless. In those few moments, their lives became much more interesting

* * *

_Five hours ago..._

"Watch where you're going, you shitty bastard! Apologize!" Sanji's cold, blue eyes glared severely at me as I returned the angry look. I hated him. I hated him because so many people admired him, despite his lack in manners and grades. I hated how the only people he was ever polite to were the ladies. I hated how he was known as the prince, though it was obvious he wasn't raised in royalty. I hated every fiber of his existence.

"What the hell?!," I retorted back, my hands aching to choke the damn bastard. "You're the one who ran into me! Like hell I'm apologizing!" I narrowly avoided the foot that threatening to break my nose.

"Zoro!!," Luffy shouted, running up to me. "Zoro! I just found out something cool-!" He ended up getting in the way of Sanji's second strike. Ignoring my friend, I lunged at Sanji, only to get punched by none other than Nami, the treasurer of the Student Council.

"Can't you two stop fighting for even one day?!," she scolded, not pleased.

"No," we answered simultaneously.

"You even dragged others into this! It has to stop!" He gestured at Luffy, who had already recovered and had begun chuckling in a stupid way. "The reason he's so stupid is because you two keep hitting him." Did I mention she was part of the Discipline Committee as well?

* * *

"Damn, I hate that woman!," I growled before biting into my melon bread. "And that stupid womanizer too!!"

"I like Nami-chan!!," Luffy said cheerfully, opening up his bento. "She's strong, like a man!!"

"I don't think she would take it as a compliment. Anyway... I think we should find a different spot to eat lunch... it's really cold up on the roof during winter you know."

"I completely agree with you, Zoro-kun!," agreed Usopp, who had just appeared. I stared at his long nose for a second, then at his stupid glasses.

"Ah, Usopp-kun!," Luffy cried. "I thought you were going to eat with Kaia-chan?" The long-nosed boy shook his head.

"No, she's sick again today. I'm going to bring over the assignments and tutor her instead!"

I closed my eyes, listening to the two misfits chatter on. I laughed silently to myself. I guess that made me one of them as well. The three of us, well, we were the strange ones. Even though I'm the captain of the Kendo club, I'm unable to break from that style and use my own santoryuu. Not only that, rather than my kohai's looking up and respecting me, they fear me, keeping away from me like I was some sort of disease. It didn't help that my hair was the colour of seaweed.

Luffy was too much of an idiot to realize that he was the one being made fun of when people were laughing at him. Even so, he managed to become close friends with Nami and the captain of the gardening club, Robin. Usopp, well, he had Kaia. She was the beautiful, sweet, rich girl that was his childhood friend. Unfortunately, her body became weak after the death of her parents, but she's been growing stronger. Me? I didn't have anyone but these guys. Unless you counted the stupid dartboard, but he's my arch enemy. I hated him.

After all that, I ended up skipping the last few classes altogether. I wasn't as much of a delinquent as Sanji, but I did like having breaks once in a while. As I snuck out of the school, I noticed a flash of familiar, irritating blonde hair. What was Sanji doing? He looked wary, even checking to see if anyone was following him. Obviously, he didn't notice me, and went on his way. I couldn't help but be curious as to where he was going. So, I did what any other person would do: I followed him. We walked for about ten minutes before Sanji took a sudden turn behind a bakery. I made it just in time to see him slip through the back door. I may not have been thinking right when I didn't leave then and there, but I really wanted to know what Sanji was doing. Slowly, I walked with light feet over to the window. It was open, and mouth-watering aromas wafted out. You could almost taste the French bread and Croissants; the German Chocolate cake and freshly baked cookies. It almost made me sick.

I peeked in, careful not to let anyone take notice of me. It was the kitchen. It was bustling with activity. Men washing dishes, cooking, baking... there was even a few cute girls, not that they would even spare a glance at me. There was no sign of Sanji anywhere. Of course, there were a lot of blind spots from where I was. Thirty minutes pass... still no Sanji. I was just about to give up when the back door opened suddenly, and out came Sanji himself, baker's uniform and all, carrying a trash bag.

"I get it!!," he was yelling. Someone yelled back, and he kicked the door angrily. "Shitty old man!! I'll remember this!!" All the while, I couldn't tear my eyes away. Sanji threw the bag at the trash cans in front of me, and turned. In an instant, our eyes met. I couldn't believe it. Sanji... a skirt-chasing, delinquent, cocky bastard who thought he was above everyone else... was working in a bakery!?


	2. Blackmailed Bento

"Wh-Wh-Wh-What the hell are _you_ doing here?!," Sanji spat angrily, his face burning from irritation and embarrassment.

"I could ask you the same thing," Zoro snickered. "What is the _manly _Sanji-kun doing at a place like this?" If Sanji had heat vision, he would have used it to melt the green-haired teen right then and there. Sanji didn't, unfortunately. Suppressing the urge to kick Zoro to the moon, he spoke as calmly as possible.

"Wait inside...," he growled. "I'll join you in a second." Zoro smirked.

"Of course you will."

The confident look on the Kendo Captain's face was incredibly, and horribly annoying. Sanji bit his tongue, knowing that if he didn't, he would blurt out words he would regret. He opened the door to the kitchen, ripped the god-forsaken pink apron off, and stormed up to the owner of the bakery, his eyes glowering.

"Old man..." I gripped the collar of his uniform, vein on my forehead pulsing. "Can I kill you now, or wait til' later, cause I'm sure as hell it's your fault I'm in this damn mess?!" The owner glared at Sanji, not bothering to push him away.

"How is whatever mess you're in my fault?," he growled roughly.

"One of my classmates is right in the shop waiting smugly for me explain why I am working in this stupid bakery with a pink apron!!!"

"I can't help it, it's the uniform." He sighed, looking away from Sanji.

"THEN CHANGE IT, DAMMIT!!," Sanji shouted.

* * *

Zoro laughed as Sanji grudgingly came through the kitchen's door with two cups of tea, slammed them down on the table, and sat quietly into the chair in front of the Kendo Captain. Putting his hands together, Sanji leaned forward, completely serious.

"You can't tell anyone about this," he said, his eyes never leaving Zoro, who snickered again.

"Why can't I?," he asked, enjoying the feel of dominance. "Because you don't want the ladies to see someone as tough and bad as you baking in a pink apron? Because you don't want to be expelled because of the no-job rule?"

"That's the uniform, dammit!," the blonde huffed, slamming his fasts on the table. "I have to wear that damn thing..." He sat back down, clearing his throat. "Well, that isn't really the case, but you can believe that if you wish." He caught his breath. "I'm begging you, don't tell anyone!"

Zoro silently sipped the tea and stared at the ceiling, as if thinking it over. He had never seen this side of Sanji before. There was no way he could pass up this chance, no matter how serious _the_ Sanji was being. He set the cup down and leaned back lazily in his chair.

"Sure, I won't tell anyone," he agreed, an ominous tone to his voice. Noting that the colour on the blonde's face was draining quickly, Zoro smirked again. "...only if you do what I say."

"Shit," Sanji swore, wishing he had heat vision again. "Shit, shit, SHIT! Why can't these things ever be easy!?" He ran a hand through he hair, sighing again. "Alright you stupid Marimo, what do you want me to do? Rub your feet? Bake you sweets?"

"I hate sweets," Zoro answered bluntly. "Actually, you can stop purposefully running into me, it's really annoying when you say I'm the one that did it!"

"What are you talking about, you're the one who ran over me!"

"Liar! Anyway... get me melon bread for my lunch-"

"Wouldn't it be easier if I just make it?," Sanji interrupted.

"What?" Zoro sat up and raised an eyebrow, confused.

"I can make it." Sanji grinned. It seemed different than usual. "It would be easier than pushing through all those people. I can even make you a bento, if you want..."

"A-A bento!?," Zoro cried suddenly, his eyes wide. He paid no heed to the other customers that gawked as he made a fuss. "R-Really?!" Sanji squinted at him.

"Why are you so excited about a bento?," he asked, ready to pound Zoro for making everyone stare. The green-haired boy laughed sheepishly, suddenly interested in something on the floor.

"I've... never had a bento before... one of my friends has one everyday and it looks really good..." For a small moment, Sanji couldn't help but feel sorry for Zoro. That moment was over in an instant. "Well then... absolutely NO sweet things! I mean it!"

"What the hell you shitty Marimo!!," Sanji shouted. "I'll pile your bento so high with sweets you'll be awake on sugar for years!!"

"Go ahead, I'm sure the school won't mind know about your secret job, and I'm sure they won't expel you. Especially with your grades and attendance record..."

"I got it, no sweets...," Sanji mumbled angrily, his hands balled into fists.

* * *

"Here's your bento...," Sanji said bluntly, dropping the box onto a wide-eyed Zoro's desk. Zoro could feel the death glares of every woman in the classroom and shivered. "...you shitty Marimo."

"Who's a Marimo!?" The blonde ignored him, fixing his uniform tie and casually slipping his hands in his pockets. Zoro fumed. "You know what, Sanji has an interesting-"

"Why don't we go to the roof?," Sanji interrupted quickly, shoving a hand on Zoro's smirking mouth. He quickly dragged him to the mentioned destination and sat down unceremoniously. "Bastard, I hate you."

"I hate you too," Zoro sneered. He opened the bento, and forced himself not to drool. The smell... the sight... he could swear it wasn't real. He broke the wooden chopsticks, gulping slightly. "Itadakimasu," he yelled before digging in.

"Tch...," Sanji muttered, scowling. He had lust lit a cigarette when two stupid guys burst onto the roof, slamming the door.

"ZORO!!," Luffy yelled, running up to the captain. "IS IT TRUE THAT _THE _SANJI GAVE YOU A BENTO!?"

"Shut up!!," Zoro growled, his mouth full. "You'll bust my ears!"

"So, it's true!," Usopp gasped. He glanced at Zoro's bento, then at his. "Mine is obviously better-"

"The hell with that!!," Sanji yelled, kicking Usopp.

"Sanji-kun...," Zoro began between bites. Bits of rice were around his mouth as well as soy sauce... almost like a little kid. "It's actually pretty good... for a Love-cook's cooking." Sanji's foot smashed into the back of Zoro's head, but he couldn't help but smile.

"Damn right it is!" The green-haired teen was about to strike back, but the smile caught him off guard. He had thought it was impossible for Sanji to seem like a normal person... it was strange. His beaming face was kinda...

_No!! What the hell are you thinking!?, _Zoro thought, shaking his head quickly._ That damn cook... he's messing with my mind!!_

"Sanji!," Luffy shouted, hanging onto the blonde. "I want a bento too! With lots of meat!"

"Make your own damn bento!"

* * *

After school, he found himself at the bakery again, although he was more of a customer. He ordered tea, and ended up watching Sanji. The shop was made where you could see the bakers in action, and you could spot the blonde clearly. It was weird. Sanji was completely focused on his work. He allowed nothing to distract him, though he was constantly yelling at whoever made mistakes.

_He must be the vice-head-baker or something..._

Yet, except for the yelling, the whole time Sanji was working, he had on this crazy, idiotic smile that was just so unlike his character at school it was like he was a different person entirely. The traces of his usual scowl had disappeared, and he began to resemble a normal teenager. Sanji turned his head, and their eyes met. It took a few moments for Zoro to tear his gaze away, and he prayed to God that the baker wouldn't noticed his reddening face.

"Hey, Moss-head," Sanji said, suddenly appearing behind him, hoping that his glares would kill the green-haired man. He set a plate down on the table. "A snack for the starving beast."

"Thanks...," Zoro mumbled, trying his best not to look the blonde in the eye. Glancing down at the plate, he was surprised and irritated to find a slice of cake. However, by the time he noticed, Sanji was already back in the kitchen. "Damn bastard..." Despite his dislike for sweets, he began eating it anyway. It wasn't as sweet as normal cake, but Zoro couldn't put his finger on what else seemed different.

"_It's actually pretty good..."_

"_Damn right it is!"_


	3. Cookies in the Oven

Luffy stared at the bento in his hands, then the extra bento that seemed to have materialized in Sanji's hand. Then, with that stupid grin of his, Luffy threw his away, gleefully accepting the Sanji-made bento. Zoro stared at Sanji, baffled. Luffy wasn't the one holding the winning hand and yet... Sanji had fixed him a bento out of his own free will!!

"Phang you Shanji!!," Luffy shouted, his cheeks already bulging with food. "If'sh mush beffer phan Shanks's shooking!" Zoro rolled his eyes at the young boy. 'Thank you Sanji!,' was what the idiot had been saying. 'It's much better than Shanks's cooking!

"Swallow before you speak, you moron!!," Zoro growled, trapping Luffy in a headlock. "It's hard as hell to understand you!" Luffy shot a glare at the green-haired teen, reached out, and stole some food-more specifically, the meat- and stuffed it into his mouth before anyone could stop him. However, he failed to notice the demonic aura now rising from the Kendo captain.

"What the hell!!! Give it back, that's mine!!" He pinched the boy's cheeks, and attempted to steal some of Luffy's bento. Around that moment, Usopp had made it up to the roof, and the sight of the trivial squabble amused the long-nosed boy to no end. He took a seat beside Sanji, who had a dark scowl on his face. Usopp stopped laughing, wondering if her made a mistake about his choice of seating. Not only did the blonde have that murderous look in his eyes, he looked dead tired and pale, not to mention the dark bags that completed his killer eyes. However, Usopp didn't dare ask him what was wrong. Delinquents like Sanji terrified him. The only delinquent-like person he actually spoke to was Zoro, and it wasn't official, since he had good grades and didn't skip classes too often.

"Look out!!"

_Wham! _

Everyone froze. Zoro from nervousness, Usopp from fear, Luffy from confusion. During the squabble, the two hadn't expected a stray piece of meat to go flying, nor had they prepared to face Sanji's wrath as he peeled the food off his face. His head was bent in such a way that his eyes couldn't be seen; it wasn't like they wanted to see in the first place. The Zoro gulped inwardly, a bit nervous. The dartboard appeared to be in a very, _very_bad mood. It was confirmed when the meat went whizzing past his face, hitting Luffy square on the forehead. Zoro tensed, already starting to lean slightly to the side so he could avoid Sanji's kick better.

Nothing.

Nothing but the sound of angry, infuriated footsteps assaulted Zoro, and he dared to open one of his eyes. Sanji was gone. As he was staring at the door, curious why Sanji didn't yell like he usually did, Luffy took the opportunity to gulp down both his own and Zoro's bento lunches. When lunch period was over, Nami wondered what the black-haired boy could have down to have gained so many bruises.

For the rest of the school day, Zoro was restless, uneasy. He didn't know why, but he was. And it annoyed the hell out of him. Not that he cared about his 'Demon Swordsman' reputation, it was given to him unwillingly. It was just the _cause_ of the uneasiness that annoyed the hell out of him. Why did the green-haired teen care about why the stupid dartboard wasn't himself?! They were arch enemies! They were like cats and dogs, fire and water, perfume and dog crap! The two were fated to fight a never-ending battle against each other, always aiming for the neck but always missing by an millimeter. There was no need to be anxious; No need to be worried; No need to even _give_ a damn! So why...

So why did Zoro give a damn? Why did Zoro worry? Why was Zoro anxious? Why did Zoro care about why the stupid dartboard wasn't himself? _Why did Zoro give a damn?_

He had no damn clue.

The final bell interrupted his thoughts, and he blinked a couple of times. Zoro glared at his pencil. Had the damn love cook been on his mind that much!? It was totally and completely wrong. Not to mention downright weird.

So why was Zoro walking around the school with Usopp and Luffy on his tail, looking to see if Sanji was anywhere on the grounds? He had no damn clue.

"Z-Z-Zoro...," Usopp stumbled, clinging on to Luffy like a girl. His entire body shook, and his teeth were chattering loudly. The threesome had already been looking until the guard closed the gates (which meant an hour of hiding...) and had only covered half the school. The sun had set already, and there was a full moon. "W-W-We sh-should g-go back!!" This was directed at Zoro. There was no use talking to Luffy. He went along with anything Zoro said... unless it was his own idea, then he won't listen to anyone, nor reason. The Kendo captain turned to Usopp, his grin crooked and the shadows falling on his face in an eerie way.

"What?," he asked, his voice hoarse and ominous. Usopp shrieked, hiding completely behind the idiot. "Don't tell me you're afraid of ghosts, Usopp? I thought you weren't scared of anything... heh heh heh...." He chuckled, and the long-nose jumped out from behind Luffy, pointing a courageous(?) finger at the captain.

"O-O-Of course not!!," he said loudly, averting his eyes so he didn't have to look into Zoro's eyes. "I-I was known as the man without a weakness!! There's no way I'm afraid of ghosts!!" His knees said otherwise, shaking so bad they were knocking together. Zoro stifled another laugh and Luffy clapped in awe.

"I thought that was the American superhero, Daredevil?" Zoro began walking forward, shrugging casually, a smug look on his face. "You're a really bad liar when it comes to simple things." If it would either save his own skin from muggers or Yakuza, or saving his friends from muggers of Yakuza, Usopp's lies were impeccable. Otherwise life-threatening situations, the long-nose was horrible at it.

It wasn't until Zoro disappeared from view that Luffy was actually scared. Usopp wasn't scared at all... he just fainted from terror. The black-haired boy began bawling.

"Zoro!!," he cried sorrowfully. "Goodbye Zoro! You were a good friend!! I'll never forget y-" The next second, he flew into the wall.

Zoro glared at Luffy, rubbing his smoking fist. "You want the guard to know we're here, you dumbass? I can't believe how stupid you are! I just tripped over the stupid dartboard!" The captain rubbed his head, wincing, and concentrated his harsh gaze on Sanji. He slapped the other teen's cheeks, in an attempt to awake him gently... mostly. "Hey Sanji, wake up. You'll catch a cold if you sleep out here." Zoro spoke too soon. After slapping him one more time, the green-haired boy noticed Sanji's temperature was higher than it should have been. No, it wasn't the cold that he had caught; it was the flu. Zoro let out a stream of curses as Luffy bounded over to him, looking unharmed.

"You found him!," he shouted, jumping up and down like a kid. However, the celebration was short-lived. Hearing an extra pair of footsteps, the Kendo captain knew they had to get out, fast.

"Luffy, grab Usopp!," he ordered, slinging Sanji over his shoulder unceremoniously. "We have to get out before the security guard finds us! Run!"

* * *

Zoro had nowhere to take Sanji, having no idea where he lived. Luffy was living with Shanks, and he was pretty sure he would have gladly took in the damn blonde, but he already had his hands full with the idiot. He couldn't ask Usopp, since his mom was still in the hospital with a horrible illness, and there was no way in hell he was taking Sanji to his house. Zoro lived alone, and he preferred to keep it that way. It was only logical that he ended up at the bakery.

Because the place appeared to be locked, Zoro fished a key out of Sanji's pocket and carried him inside, with Luffy tagging behind. "Don't touch anything," Zoro warned intensely, glaring at Luffy until he nodded. By that time, Usopp had started snoring. However, Sanji's breaths had also become more labored, he was sweating, and his face was contorted in pain.

A few moments and a few crashes later, Luffy was splayed across the floor, snoring soundly beside the long-nose, Sanji had a wet washcloth across his forehead and was covered by Zoro's uniform jacket. Zoro himself? Well, he was a swordsman. He knew that Sanji was already in that bad of a condition because he hadn't gone straight home, deciding to stay in the schoolyard away from everyone's site. Zoro was going to stay awake. He was going to make sure nothing fell on his friends, like pans and stoves, just in case. He was going to change the washcloth when it grew warm. He wasn't going to let the blonde's temperature go up. He wasn't going to let anything bad happen? Zoro's eyes grew heavy.

_Let anything bad happen? I mean Luffy and Usopp right? Maybe I mean the love cook too... I don't know... Argh!! I can't think right_ _now! I'm so tired, it's not even funny! However, I can't __fall asleep now. If I do, then it's possible that Sanji's fever could get worse.... no, the pans might fall on Luffy. Yeah, that's why I'm staying awake..._

The night lasted an eternity, and Zoro was doing all he could to keep himself awake. The second his eyes began drooping, he splashed himself with ice-cold water. In-between washcloth shifts, he took the liberty to find a clear area and practice with his Kendo shinai. Swing, swing, swing, change. Swing, swing, swing, change. That was what kept Zoro from literally passing out. Of course, he threw in the water every so often. Before the captain knew it, the sun had already risen and laughed mockingly at him. Why wouldn't it? Zoro had been up all night, taking care of a person he hated with every fiber of his being. Maybe that was why he collapsed on the floor the second he saw the tired, frantic old man fling the door open, yelling words that sounded like gibberish. The last thing I remember was his prosthetic leg.

* * *

"Dammit Sanji! You think you can scare me half to death without giving me a heart attack! If you're sick, just come home!"

"I can take care of myself! I don't need a damn geezer like you protecting me like I'm a kid!"

"You are a kid!"

"What the hell you shitty bastard- Luffy! That's not food!"

"Really? It looked a bit like-"

"I don't care what it looks like, take it out of your mouth- wait, don't put that on the eggs!!"

The shouts were followed up by many more shouts and crashes. I sat up sluggishly, staring at the trio blankly. I was confused. I was sure there was nobody living in my apartment except myself. So, why were there so many voices? Why were there so many people? Why did it smell like burnt eggs and glue? I blinked a few times, and pinched my cheek. Yep, I was awake. The crowded room looked nothing like my apartment... oh yeah. Yesterday happened. Sanji was sick, Luffy was being an idiot, Usopp fainted.

_What the hell's going on?_

Luffy ran over to me, tackling me in a hug. "Zoro, Zoro!," He shouted. I could swear my ears were bleeding. "You're awake! Guess what, this is Sanji's apartment!! He-" The next second, the idiot was face down on the floor with a furious Sanji looming above him.

"What the hell?," he growled. "Pay attention when someone's talking to you." He looked over at me, who, by the way, was still mostly out of it because I just woke up. "Hey, Marimo. I have your meal done." He set a plate down on the ground, along with a bowl filled to the brim with rice and a pair of wooden chopsticks. "Eat." On the plate were scrambled eggs, buttered toast, fried, crispy bacon, and apple slices. It was a typical western breakfast, and the smell alone was enough to make stomach beg for just a bite. I quickly broke the chopsticks, and finished the meal greedily. Stealing a glance at my friend, I chuckled because he had actually been knocked out from Sanji's kick. However, someone was missing.

"Hey!," I called out. "Where's Usopp?"

"Who, the long-nosed coward?," the old man grunted. "He's long gone. He left earlier this morning, saying some shit about 'He had cookies in the oven'."

I groaned and rolled my eyes. Yep, that was him. Sanji had just sat down, and was eating his own food. I was confused again. Why was Sanji acting completely fine when he was dying the night before?

"Weren't you sick?"

"Yeah, I/he was," Sanji and the old man said bluntly. Then the man grabbed the back of the blonde's shirt, and threw him. When I mean he threw him, I mean he _threw _him!! On me, of all people! As we struggled to regain our bearings, he slipped on his shoes with Luffy tucked under one arm and glared at me... I think.

"I'm taking this kid home," he told us. "Shanks is a good friend of mine, so don't worry about giving me directions. However, I'm not coming back after I drop him off, I need to go to the the _Baratie, _because the bastards that work there can't do shit. Marimo, I leave him to you." With that, he was gone.

"My name is Zoro, dammit!!," I huffed after the door slammed shut, finally having enough oxygen to actually say something. Sanji sat up, grumbling, and our eyes met. I felt his forehead with my hand, curious. It was still burning hot, much to my amazement. How could he move like that while his temperature was so high? I sighed, rubbing the rising bump on my head. "I guess it's just you and me."

Sanji scowled, finding the bug crawling on the wall more interesting than me. His cheeks were flushed, though I could swear that they were redder than before. "Shit."

**

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: I wished I owned One Piece, but I don't so.... boo.**

**It took a bit for this chapter to come out, I'm sorry! Don't worry, I _promise _that there will be more Sanji and Zoro action the next chapter!**


	4. Sick Day

"_Marimo, I leave him to you."_

I groaned, glaring the the door. Why was my job to take care of the dartboard?! Was God punishing me for blackmailing the delinquent? If anyone should be punished, it should be Sanji!

_At least I keep my grades above failing and only skipped classes when I felt there was no need to attend! Maybe that was the problem... no, if start thinking that way, then it means I really am screwed! I don't deserve to be punished! I even worked my ass off just to be the Kendo Captain!! Wait, what did that have to do with anything? What the hell?! Even my brain's being messed up because I've been in his place too long-_

"Hey, Marimo," Sanji grumbled, bringing me back to reality. Only then I noticed his face was as pale as it had been yesterday, and every move he made appeared to be a bit of a challenge. However, it certainly made the blue in his eyes stand out more than usual... I stopped there. My mind was no longer functioning properly.

_What the hell am I thinking?!_

"Are you going to help me or not? If not, you should just leave now, it's not like I need someone like you taking care of me." He glared at me as he pointed to the dishes littering the floor.

"Quiet, I'm trying to think!!," I growled, shooting a glare right back. Was it just me, or had the room somehow gotten messier after the old man left? I took a deep breath, wiping sweat off my brow.

_Okay Zoro, _I thought to myself in an attempt to think more rationally. _Calm down. It won't be long before he kicks me out anyway. There's nobody waiting for me at home, and there's nobody here to take care of Sanji... What could it hurt other than my pride to stay here and help the guy out? _So that was my decision. I was going to take care of Sanji until he got sick of me and kicked me out. If he didn't get sick of me? Well, then that would be a miracle, because he made his dislike of me clear.

I yawned, and stretched out my arms. My muscles were a bit sore from the night before, especially since I kept myself awake for hours by swinging around a shinai. So who's fault was that?

"Shithead, pay attention!!," Sanji yelled impatiently, and I held back the urge to punch him. "I have a name!!," I yelled back, grabbing his shirt collar. "It's Roronoa Zoro, not 'shithead', or 'Marimo', Zoro!!"

Sanji scoffed, then pulled a cigarette out of his pocket. "Che, whatever. It doesn't matter." Irritated, I swiped the cigarette out of his grasp, ready to murder him. "Hey, give that back!"

"You're sick, moron!! I don't care how well you think or pretend you are, but I can tell how high your fever is just from this distance!"

"I'm perfectly fine, I don't need someone taking care of me, especially _you,_ of all people! I'm not a kid, and I shouldn't be treated like one!"

I sighed. Nothing I said was getting through to him. Somehow, I saw a bit of myself in him. Not wanting to show weakness; not wanting to be underestimated; I understood that much more than he could imagine.

Memories that I would rather forget briefly flashed through my head, replaying over and over like some broken record. To bad it wouldn't break completely and just not work anymore. I hated that record. There was lots of blood, screaming, humiliation, and crying. More than that, there was heartbreak, despair, and loss. The wound hidden deep inside my soul was no smaller than it was, maybe it even grew. It was getting infected, getting worse. It grew bigger, and threatened to overtake me. Hatred gave it strength. Self-hatred. Self-hatred because I had been so powerless, so completely and utterly helpless that I had been unable to do anything but cry.

"-mo. Marimo! ZORO!!" I was dazed momentarily. However, the second I regain my bearings, I glared at Sanji. I could swear my eardrums were gonna bust one day!

"What do you want!!," I snapped. "Why did you have to yell?! I haven't done anything to you yet!"

"What do you mean 'yet'?! You stole my cigarette, you bastard!" Sanji jerked his shirt out of my grasp, and turned his back to me. His next words were barely audible, just barely above a whisper. "More importantly, what are you doing, making that kind of face?," he muttered. Confused, I scratched my head.

"What are you talking about?," I asked gruffly, still annoyed.

"N-Nothing!," Sanji growled defensively. "I was just asking myself how I would I survive in an idiot's care! " Though the blonde's back was facing me, I could see the tip of his ears turn scarlet. Wait, wasn't his skin supposed to be pale white? Not like the colour of Sanji's ear mattered anyway...

"Liar! You said something else!" I crossed my arms, my eyes stern. I wouldn't accept anything but the truth, and my face said it all.

The blonde fidgeted with his shirt, doing his best not to look me in the eyes. "I told you what I said!!," he finally shouted. "Why do you care anyway! You hate me, right?!"

"Hate you! Of course I do! You're the one who looks at me with the intent to kill, so why wouldn't I?!"

"What the hell are you talking about!?"

"I'm taking about every freaking day we see each other!"

"Your eyes are messed up! I never looked at you!"

"Bastard, don't deny that you've been glaring at me non-stop since middle school!!"

We stood there for a moment, panting and trying to catch our breath. Yelling insults did get tiring at times, you know. Both our fists' were clenched, and we were having a stare-down. I was ready to win. However, the unexpected happened.

Sanji's eyes drooped and he staggered, trying to stay upright. He lost the battle and fell forward. "I didn't...," he murmured as I panicked.

"Sanji!!," I shouted, running over and catching him just before he hit the ground. "Hey, dartboard!! Sanji!" I felt his forehead; he was literally burning up. His temperature was much, much higher than I thought. Moving around like he was perfectly healthy with that kind of fever would just make it worse! Who was stupid enough to do that!? Sanji, apparently!

"Shit!" I hoisted him up, one hand under his knees, the other across his shoulders. In short, I was carrying him bridal-style. However, I was too worried to be embarrassed. I quickly found the bedroom, and set Sanji in the bed, covered him up and set a wet washcloth across his forehead.

Heavy breathing, sweating... it was pretty bad. That's the only word I could use to describe the situation. I could use horrendous, terrible, horrible, screwed, awful, petrifying, shocking, harrowing.... the list is endless. However, none of those words seemed to have the same impact as the pure, black truthfulness of 'bad'. There was no better word.

* * *

It wasn't the loud snoring that woke me, oh no. It was the throbbing pain in my head that forced my eyes open. However, other than my headache, I was feeling a bit better than before. The only light in the room came from a crack in the door leading to the kitchen and living room. I glanced over at my clock, and it read nine o'clock pm. It was already evening. I sat up slowly, careful not to make my head scream out more than it was already. A cloth slipped of my forehead, falling onto my lap. I picked it up, studying it.

_What the hell, it's still damp!_, I thought to myself, a bit surprised. _It couldn't have been too long ago it was changed... but, the old man has to keep the idiots in line at the Baratie, right? So who would have-_

I jumped at the sudden sound of a snore. "M-Marimo!?," I sputtered, trying in vain to keep my voice down. I guess he had pulled up a chair and had fallen asleep while he was...

_That damn old man, I remember now! The bastard made Zoro stay here and take care of me! Was today a school day? Wouldn't it hurt Zoro's chances of getting into college if he's absent with any excuse?! There's no hope for me, but he still has a shot!_

I sighed, running a hand through my hair, and stared up at the ceiling. "Damn it...," I said quietly. "Why did it have to _him_ of all people? It could have been fine if it were Nami-swan, or that lying idiot Usopp, but no, it had to be the stupid _marimo_!! ....and he freakin' _saw_ me!! Although he did misunderstand he still freakin' _noticed _!" There was another loud snore, and I scoffed, flicking the green-haired captain lightly in the forehead. "Idiot," I mumbled. "That's not cute at all..." Despite my words, I couldn't stop my hand. _Just a touch won't hurt anything..._

Hesitant, I gently brushed stray, longer strands of hair out of his face, thought his hair was already pretty short. It was softer than I expected. Zoro's snore made me jerk my hand back in surprise. I stared at him, then at my hand. "What the hell am I doing?" I was crazy, and my feelings were in a mess... they had been messed up for years. Ever since middle school. Ever since I realized what these strange feelings were. It was almost like I was suffocating, drowning, falling, floating all at the same time. It was like a heavy weight on my chest that wouldn't go away.

And it was all because of him. All because of the freakin' bastard Zoro. It was all his fault. He had to freakin' take responsibility!!

Suddenly feeling light-headed, I fell back onto my pillow and sighed yet again. "Shit... I'm not sure if I can hold back if this keeps up." I closed my eyes,

_Why did I fall for someone like Zoro?_


	5. Leek Soup, Smoke, and Ghosts

**It's me again! Haha, I should have placed this in the first chapter, but deal with it. XP This is actually my first Shounen-ai/yaoi fic. So, I'm very excited about it and I can't wait to see how it unfolds. You know how it goes, you want something to go one way, but it ends up going the opposite way. It really all depends on the characters. I feel that they're the ones who really write the story, not the writers themselves. We just create the situations and see how they will react. A bit strange I know**

**To saywhatyouneedtosay:Thanks for sticking around! XDD And you reviewed twice, I'm really falling in love! XP I'm kidding, but really, thanks a lot! Oh, and I'm planning on using the Kuina-past thing, however I'm going to add a small twist to it, make it slightly more tragic maybe. :) You're gonna have to read to find out exactly where I'm gonna go with it.**

**To softdreamer****: The story won't be completely centered around angst. There will be just a little, but that's mainly about their pasts and such like that. I personally don't like a story with too much of that. **

**To Kagollie****: You stuck around too! =D I'm glad you love it so much!**

* * *

When I came to, Sanji was still asleep. Or maybe he had woken up, then just fell back asleep. I really didn't know, nor did I care. Adding to that, it was dark outside. I realized that I had drifted off… sitting in front of Sanji's bed... maybe I needed a girlfriend so I wouldn't get wrapped up in any more situations regarding Sanji, _Sanji_, of all people! However, as much as I hated it, I _didn't _hate it. It must have been because I had seen a side of the blonde idiot that I had never seen before. Hell, I didn't even know another side existed!! Thinking about him that way made him seem more... human. Not that he didn't look human, but what person had an eyebrow that resembled a dartboard? Really, it was ridiculous.

I stretched, moving my head from side to side to get rid of the annoying ache in my neck from that stupid, girly sleeping position. I don't understand what compelled me to stay by his side like that, especially considering how much I despise him. It was just- I would die if I ever said this out loud -but... I had been scared. In my entire life, I could only recall one time when I was frightened, when I felt fear for the first time. When Sanji collapsed, I felt that same fear again. Very few thoughts rushed through my mind, and the majority of them were begging for Sanji to be all right. The other few screamed, "What the hell are you doing?!" I guess even my mind couldn't wrap around those strange feelings.

I shook my head quickly, breaking out of the confines of my mind. I didn't need to be there, It was almost a forbidden place to me, where unwanted things lay in the dark corners, just waiting for my moment of weakness, waiting for the moment my guard is down and I'm completely exposed. No, that was no place for me.

Instead I focused on getting food. I was starving, and Sleeping Beauty would probably feel the same. Miso ramen sounded great, but I had no idea if it was good for a sick person to eat. The only thing food that I was absolutely sure that was easy to digest and good for a person's health was Leek soup. Did Sanji and that old man even have any Leeks? Fortunately, they did, and an abundant supply of them too.

Of course, I couldn't help but recall those delicious bento lunches that the blonde made for me because of our little 'deal'. The meat was always cooked so perfect it was always nice and tender, and even the vegetables, which I hated to the brink I never wanted to see one, tasted like heaven. The green-haired teen could cook, but not nearly as well as Sanji.

I could only cook the easy stuff. So, for me, making Leek soup was no problem. The only setback was that I hadn't cooked for anyone, not even myself, in a really, really, _really,_ long time. I had no idea if it would turn out to be a disaster, or if I would somehow pull it off. That would be a miracle.

Lady Luck, the fates, God, or whoever had control of my life had been getting a kick out of his miserable suffering, and they weren't done with me yet.

* * *

I sat up slowly, almost mechanically, blinking my eyes a few times to get used to the day's light. I glanced over to the side of the bed, but Zoro wasn't there. I immediately assumed he left, my heart sinking ever so slightly. It wasn't until a few seconds after I saw the smoke sneaking under my door. I stared at it, my still half-asleep mind trying comprehend the situation. It was the smoke alarm that finally jerked me into reality, all my senses on alert, my muscles tense. Ignoring the headache pounding against my skull, and the dizziness threatening to overwhelm me, I slid the door to the side harshly, the door itself banging loudly to the side. "Patty!!!," I shouted fiercely, unable to see anything because of the smoke, "Carne! If this is a prank, you're taking it too far!! How the hell did you get into my house... anyway...?" The smoke had finally begun clearing, and, instead of those stupid employees I automatically assumed were the culprits, was Zoro. He looked a bit panicked, and soot covered the front of his face. The teen had been quickly dumping the contents of the pan in the trash, and failed to notice my gaze. I didn't know if I should have been angry or relieved. However, the relief didn't last a second.

"You shitty Marimo!!!," I shouted angrily, stomping up towards him. He looked up from his cleaning attempts with what I figured was dismay. "What the hell did you do to MY kitchen!!" I jabbed my finger into his chest getting up close to his face. "I can't believe you!? Just what were you trying to make that could create this whole mess!?" Zoro turned his face away, avoiding my eyes. He mumbled something incomprehensible, making me even more frustrated. "I can't understand you, moron! Say it louder!"

"I said I was trying to make Leek soup!!," Zoro growled, his eyes turning back to me, fierce and wild. It took every word, every insult I had ready to throw at him away from me. It had those eyes that had first captivated me in the first place. Now, seeing them up close, I wasn't sure if I could take it. He was close to me, yet, I couldn't do a thing to him. Nothing. The only thing I could do was wonder; wonder if those lips of his were rough, or soft; wonder whether his hair was naturally green or dyed; wonder how I could make those eyes look at me and me alone.

"Sanji. Sanji! Stop glaring at me like that, I don't have time to fight with you, you're sick!!" I think that was what Zoro said, but I wasn't entirely sure. My mind was elsewhere, again. I could never think straight when it came to him, never!!

"Why Leek soup?," I asked, in somewhat of a daze. All that shouting and moving around had made me light-headed, not to mention the dizziness still threatening to topple me. The threat, or warning, or whatever it was went in one ear and out the other. Zoro hesitated for a moment, unsure how to answer, as well as baffled as to why I would suddenly change the subject rather than yell back.

"If somebody's sick, then they're supposed to eat that, right?," he answered after a long pause. My eyes widened in shock. There was no way... he went through all that trouble... Zoro grew fidgety under my gaze. "I-It's not like it was for you, or anything, I-I was hungry..." He backed away from me, searching the cabinets for a hand towel. "A-Anyway, as you can see, it backfired. I can cook, just-"

"The middle drawer, right in front of you," I interrupted rudely, having gotten over the shock quickly and still upset he destroyed the kitchen. I was still looking at him, just more in the furious sense.

"What?," he asked. "What the hell-"

"The hand towels, Marimo. They're in the middle drawer, right in front of you. A real towel might be better though, since there's soot everywhere. You also might want to consider taking a shower, you reek as much as my poor kitchen. Think I'm gonna clean up your mess? Not a chance!" Zoro glared, and I could easily see he was ready to strangle me.

"If you were perfectly fine, I wouldn't be in this mess!! I don't even know why I helped you in the first place! You have the worst attitude, and you're totally ungrateful!! I hate you!" My heart suddenly felt very heavy, and rage took control of me.

"Well, I hate you too!!," I snapped harshly, ignoring my burning cheeks. I prayed for them to be red for anger, rather than other, unmentionable reasons. "I'm going back to bed, since all your screaming has worn me out! This kitchen better be clean when I wake up later! No, not clean, spotless!! I don't want to see a speck of dirt on this place!!" And with that, I stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut, furious at both Zoro, and myself. I pretended not to hear the series of curses streaming from the other room. My head throbbed.

* * *

Zoro panted, the urge to break every single on of Sanji limbs strong... very strong. The blonde was so infuriating!! How the hell could he be helpful and condescending at the same time!? What was he, bipolar or something weird like that!? It was so frustrating! However, he had to put up with it.

The teen took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Zoro had to remember that even though the blonde was just as annoying as he had always been, that he was still sick. When he had seen Sanji just appear out of nowhere, his face had looked so pale, Zoro had been sure it was his ghost amongst all the smoke. He had been relieved when he realized that it was Sanji himself. The blonde also looked a bit shocked to see him, like _he_ was the ghost.

However, he couldn't let his mind just keep replying that scene over and over, Zoro had to clean the kitchen before Sanji woke up. He didn't really care what Sanji thought of him, though the 'I hate you!' hit a bit harder than it should have. No matter how many times they bickered, Sanji had never brought out that card. Ever. Now, Zoro was regretting saying he hated Sanji to his face. Not only had he said it once, he had said it twice! Maybe he had been a bit harsh on Sanji as well, as much as Zoro didn't want to admit it. But, he had seen it, for a small instant. He had seen the pain, the despair in Sanji's eyes as soon as those words left his lips. Zoro wanted to know why he had seen it.

But, yet again, he couldn't dwell on it. The kitchen was waiting.

* * *

**Haha, I couldn't help but think Sanji was a bit OOC in this chapter! Hope you enjoyed it, Reviews will be loved forever!!**


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